[karena]

I have read about an International Airport opening in the Panhandle. When is it scheduled to open and where is it? Also does anyone know what Airlines will use it?

[southgeorgia]

its the new panama city int'l. about another year it should be open.

[beachmouse]

The current Panama City airport is already technically an international airport because there's a customs office there.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

The current Panama City airport is already technically an international airport because there's a customs office there.

Yes, I flew to France from there, but you have to connect some place else.
As an American, upon returning, I always went through Customs in Memphis or Atlanta.
There is no direct flight to Europe out of the current airport. I felt so torn about the new airport, because actually I liked the little one, yet it was so expensive (and a hassle) to deal with always having to connect.

I lost track of the new airport's progress.
Will the big jet airliners be flying in/out of there?
This site has very recent construction news and photos, but no particulars about airlines that have signed on.
New Airport blog, construction photos

[beachmouse]

IMO, the new airport is being vastly oversold to a lot of people. What you have is a nice new complex that looks an awful lot like the new terminal at VPS (Ft. Walton Beach) and if the passenger count (currently in the 300K passengers a year range) grows to what they have at VPS over ten years, about 850K, it will be considered to be a solid success. If they get it up to Pensacola numbers, about 1.4 million passengers, it will be far beyond reasonable expectations.

It's a good thing for the area if you've got a 20 year outlook, but there are a ton of unreasonable expectations about its impact in the short run right now. The hard equations just don't match up with the rumors that keep floating around.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Originally Posted by beachmouse

IMO, the new airport is being vastly oversold to a lot of people. What you have is a nice new complex that looks an awful lot like the new terminal at VPS (Ft. Walton Beach) and if the passenger count (currently in the 300K passengers a year range) grows to what they have at VPS over ten years, about 850K, it will be considered to be a solid success. If they get it up to Pensacola numbers, about 1.4 million passengers, it will be far beyond reasonable expectations.

It's a good thing for the area if you've got a 20 year outlook, but there are a ton of unreasonable expectations about its impact in the short run right now. The hard equations just don't match up with the rumors that keep floating around.

Thanks for the update, Beachmouse.
Yes, I know what you mean about the 20 year outlook. That goes for a lot of the PSJ area, too.
Some of us are a bit long in the tooth to wait that long!

[karena]

I was disappointed when I look at the carriers operating out of there. They said there were five but I only saw one of their list. I was hoping Southwest would add that area to their route. They are so much cheaper than other lines and more "user-friendly" if you are a Senior.

[beachmouse]

Small town airports tend to call the regional contractors distinct airlines, so Delta would count as three- Delta main, ASA (aka Satan's commuter airline as determined by a major national customer service study) and Comair. And part of it might be that they haven't updated the web site in a while- pre-merger Northwest and the US Air flights they discontinued last year would bring it up to five.

[TP123]

Its my understanding that SW Airlines WILL serve the new airport starting late this year.

[Jimrob1]

Southwest will be flying out of the new airport. Im not sure of the routes they will fly though. I think I read one was Orlando and another city. I know it didn't seem like they were offering many routes out of the new airport. Maybe in time they will.